This invention relates to bicycles in general more particularly to a bicycle locking rack.
During the past few years, cycling has become very popular due to an increased awareness of the beneficial health effects of cycling and a desire to decrease pollution which results from motor vehicles. More recently the gasoline shortage and high cost of gasoline has further stimulated the use of bicycles. Along with this interest in cycling has come the development of more and more multispeed bicycles wich make cycling on all sorts of terrain possible. Of course, such bicycles are quite expensive with even the cheaper models costing in the vicinity of $100.00 Thus, along with the increase in cycling there has been a marked increase in the theft of bicycles. In former times, a bicycle thief would generally only be interested in stealing a whole bicycle. Thus, any form of protective device which prevented the bicycle from being ridden or carried away was generally sufficient to protect the owner's property. However, bicycle thieves have become more sophisticated. Since most of the expensive parts of the bicycles are included in the frame and the rear wheel assembly, such thieves are satisfied to steal those portions and leave the front wheel, which may be attached to a rack or the like, in place. Front wheels are relatively inexpensive and may easily be removed and replaced. Thus all the thief must do in such a case is to replace the front wheel and he immediately has a saleable item. Thus, bicycle racks which protect the bicycle by locking only the front wheel are no longer acceptable to provide the type of protection needed by a bicycle owner. This means there is a need for a type of bicycle locking rack which will effectively prevent a thief from stealing any portion of the bicycle and in particular the frame and rear wheel assembly.
Over the years various attempts have been made to provide adequate locking bicycle racks. Typical is the rack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 614,432 granted to D. B. Austin on Nov. 22, 1898. The disclosed rack locks the front wheel of the bicycle in place. Obviously, all this protects is the front wheel itself and a thief can remove the remainder of the bicycle by loosening the nuts. Thus an arrangement such as this is not effective. Another type of bicycle stall is disclosed in German Patent No. 97861 granted to Martin Hirshlaff on Sept. 5, 1897. Again, only a small lock and chain hold the bicycle in place. Aside from the fact that the chain might easily be cut, the major portions of the bicycle can still be removed and taken. For example, the rear wheel is easily accessible and could be removed from a rack of such nature.